The First Minister Eluned Morgan welcomed political leaders to Wales today for the British-Irish Council, to discuss unlocking the potential of the creative industries.
The First Minister chaired the summit, which included:
- Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez, Chief Minister of Guernsey
- Micheál Martin, Irish Taoiseach
- Simon Harris, Irish Tánaiste and Minister for Finance
- Helen McEntee, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister for Defence
- Alfred Cannan, Isle of Man Chief Minister
- Deputy Lyndon Farnham, Government of Jersey Chief Minister
- Michelle O’Neil, Northern Irish First Minister
- Emma Little-Pengelly, Northern Irish deputy First Minister
- John Swinney, Scottish First Minister
- Sir Keir Starmer, UK Government’s Prime Minister
- Darren Jones, UK Government’s Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister
- Hilary Benn, UK Government Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- Jo Stevens, UK Government Secretary of State for Wales
They were also joined by the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Rebecca Evans, and Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant.
Today’s summit was the second major event hosted by First Minister Eluned Morgan this week, following the hugely successful Wales Investment Summit on Monday, which was attended by over 300 business leaders from all over the globe.
First Minister Eluned Morgan said:
“Today’s summit was a great opportunity to welcome friends to Wales to celebrate our vibrant and dynamic creative industries.
“Our creative industries enrich our lives in so many ways – providing enjoyment and memories. The sector is also a cornerstone of our economy – the sectors supported by Creative Wales have over 3,500 businesses, employing 35,000 people with an annual turnover of £1.5bn.”
Minister for Culture Jack Sargeant said:
“From film and television to gaming, music, publishing and immersive technologies, Welsh creativity is making waves globally.
“Our creative sectors are a huge success story. Just this week we announced £2m for Bad Wolf to produce two new TV productions that will bring £30m to the Welsh economy. That takes our production investment to £33.8m in 70 projects, generating £419.7m, since Creative Wales was launched in 2020.”
